U.S. patent application number 13/031442 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-16 for system and method for improved social networking.
Invention is credited to Jeremy Mattern.
Application Number | 20110145355 13/031442 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44144109 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110145355 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mattern; Jeremy |
June 16, 2011 |
System and Method for Improved Social Networking
Abstract
A geographically defined social network is provided, the network
including a personal communications device; a means for detection
of data regarding a first networked user based on a predetermined
geographic condition, and a means for delivery of said data
regarding said first networked user to a second networked user in
response to a geographically-defined user request. Other, "layered"
options in which information originally concealed by the first user
can be selectively revealed to subsequent users, and a wide variety
of selection and data distribution criteria are also provided.
Inventors: |
Mattern; Jeremy; (Houston,
TX) |
Family ID: |
44144109 |
Appl. No.: |
13/031442 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12875589 |
Sep 3, 2010 |
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13031442 |
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61239631 |
Sep 3, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 4/029 20180201;
H04L 51/32 20130101; H04L 51/18 20130101; H04L 67/18 20130101; H04L
67/306 20130101; H04W 4/025 20130101; G06Q 10/10 20130101; H04W
4/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/206 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. A geographically defined social network, comprising: a personal
communications device; means for detection of data regarding a
first networked user based on a predetermined geographic condition;
and means for delivery of said data regarding said first networked
user to a second networked user in response to a
geographically-defined user request.
2. The social network of claim 1, wherein said means for detection
further comprises means for determining a last known location of
said first networked user.
3. The social network of claim 1, wherein said means for detection
further comprises means for determining a last known location for
said second networked user.
4. The social network of claim 1, further comprising means for
establishing a voice-based communication service between said first
networked user and said second networked user without disclosing
origination data regarding said first networked user.
5. The social network of claim 1, further comprising means for
establishing a private electronic mail service between said first
networked user and said second networked user without disclosing
said first networked user's originating electronic mail
address.
6. The social network of claim 1, further comprising means for
establishing a text messaging service between said first networked
user and said second networked user without disclosing data
regarding the source of said first networked user's originating
text address.
7. The social network of claim 1, further comprising an internal
contact list, wherein networked users may save and store other
networked users' contact information.
8. The social network of claim 1, wherein said data comprises a
social networking profile created by said first networked user.
9. The social network of claim 8, wherein said social networking
profile comprises said first networked user's preferred sexual
orientation.
10. The social network of claim 8, wherein said social networking
profile comprises said first networked user's city and state of
residence.
11. The social network of claim 8, wherein said social networking
profile comprises said first networked user's associated
educational institutions.
12. The social network of claim 8, wherein said social networking
profile further comprises picture images maintained in locked files
that may be unlocked for access by other networked users.
13. The social network of claim 8, wherein said social networking
profile is linked to a web-based social networking site.
14. The social network of claim 13, wherein said web-based social
networking site is accessible to said second networked user by
clicking on an associated hyperlink.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 12/875,589 filed Sep. 3, 2010,
still pending, which claims the benefit of prior provisional
application No. 61/239,631 filed Sep. 3, 2009.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an improved
social networking system, and in a particular though non-limiting
embodiment to a method of meeting people, learning about people,
and/or sharing contact information with people that are
geographically situated relatively near one other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Many on-line social networking systems currently exist, with
many directed toward specific target audiences, while others are
provided for the general use of individuals irrespective of
characteristics that might be shared by other users of the
network.
[0004] For example, there are social networks for groups or
individuals who went to the same schools, those who share the same
hobbies or commercial interests, etc. Other social networks operate
in such a manner that virtually anyone can register and become a
member of a broader, disparate community in which posting space is
provided for more or less any member willing to follow the rules of
the web site and/or pay whatever fees are requested by the site
proprietor or administrator for the privilege of being a
member.
[0005] Some of the more popular social network environments
comprise dating sites and/or sites on which members can meet and
then communicate with one another on-line; others facilitate
arrangement of a more private environment in which the participants
can communicate, e.g., by means of electronic mail, instant
messaging, etc.
[0006] While there have been social networking sites that encourage
participation from certain approximate geographical locations,
there have to date been no social networking systems in which a
means for detection of data regarding a first networked user is
based on a predetermined geographic condition, and a means for
delivery of data regarding that user is sent to a second networked
user in response to the geographically-defined user request.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to one detailed example embodiment, a
geographically defined social network is provided, the network
including a personal communications device; a means for detection
of data regarding a first networked user based on a predetermined
geographic condition; and means for delivery of said data regarding
said first networked user to a second networked user in response to
a geographically-defined user request.
DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0008] According to a presently preferred embodiment, the present
invention comprises the use of a personal communication device
(hereinafter a "PCD") such as cellular telephones or other devices
that connect to a public or private network, including but not
limited to the public Internet, radio communications, cellular
networks, physically wired networks (including local area
networks), wireless networks (including WIFI, BlueTooth, etc.),
short range radio communications, and/or virtually any other type
of wireless communication method.
[0009] In one embodiment, the PCD has the ability, whether by means
of an internal GPS receiver, signal strength based radio signal
positioning, and/or radio tower proximity detection, to detect
approximate geographic location. In an alternative embodiment, a
public or private network in communication with the PCD provides
the PCD with the approximate geographic location.
[0010] In either embodiment, the PCD can ascertain and communicate
to a user or remote computer data indicative of a last known
geographic location associated with the detected or obtained
information. For the balance of this disclosure, the approximate
last known location will be referred to as the "LKL." As will be
appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the pertinent arts, the
core elements required to practice the instant invention are: a
PCD, a network, and a LKL.
[0011] According to one exemplary embodiment, a software
application (hereinafter "the Application") is placed on a PCD by
means of either a download from a public or private network, or by
means of an interface with a computer. The Application is capable
of transmitting the LKL of the PCD to a remotely located computer
server consisting of one or more conventional servers or a cloud
computing environment (all such computer devices hereafter referred
to collectively as the "Server").
[0012] The Application also causes one or more identified LKLs to
be stored within storage on the Server, such as an SQL, MySQL,
Oracle, or any other suitable database or the like, or a similar
distributed file system method of storing data, including a cloud
and/or other architectures now emerging as viable technological
alternatives to databases (all such structures hereafter being
referred to collectively as "the Database.")
[0013] The Application commits information directly to the
Database, or indirectly to the Database by means of a Server based
software application (including an Internet website application, a
web service, or any other like alternative). In one embodiment, the
Application reports the LKL by one (or both) of an active means
and/or a passive means, "passive" in this context referring to a
software program or package being run as a background
application.
[0014] Using either the Application or an Internet available
interactive website (hereinafter the "Website"), individual users
(which may consist of either individual people or group entities,
including commercial entities) create a unique profile, which is
transmitted via the Network to the Database whenever a profile is
newly created or later updated. In various embodiments, the Profile
includes one or more combinations of the following representative
(though non-exhaustive) types of data: [0015] First Name, Last
Name, Handle, Nickname, and/or combinations thereof [0016] Age,
Date of Birth, and/or combinations thereof [0017] Sexual
orientation [0018] Race [0019] Gender [0020] Physical
characteristics and phenotypes, such as "build," hair color, eye
color, height, apparent physical behaviors, and/or combinations
thereof [0021] Relationship status (i.e., married, single,
committed relationship, swinger, open relationship, divorced, etc.)
[0022] City and State of residence or combinations thereof [0023]
City or State of hometown or combinations thereof [0024] Occupation
or student status or combinations thereof [0025] Current
educational institution or former educational institutions and/or
combinations thereof [0026] A primary photograph (which shall serve
as a default photograph) and other additional photographs as
uploaded by a user, and/or combinations thereof [0027] One or more
telephone numbers [0028] One or more website links [0029] One or
more email addresses [0030] One or more social networking site
links, such as MySpace.TM., Facebook.TM., Twitter.TM., etc., and/or
combinations thereof [0031] A search radius (hereinafter "Radius")
to indicate an approximate distance a user wishes to search when
locating other potential nearby users (hereinafter "Neighbors")
[0032] A visible or invisible (or private) indicator to allow the
Server Application to distinguish between users wishing to be
"seen" (i.e., transparent to other users of the system) and those
who do not wish to be seen by others
[0033] As will be readily appreciated by those of skill in the art,
any of the above items can be omitted (or others added) from the
Profile without departing from the scope of the invention, and the
representative profile data suggested above are not required data
elements.
[0034] It is presently contemplated that the Application running on
the PCD will ultimately transmit the LKL to a server via the
network (e.g., the Internet). Using the LKL, the server determines
the location of all other users (again, "Neighbors") of the
Application that fall within a user specified Radius based on the
Neighbors' LKL. The server will return to the Application a list of
all Neighbors whose LKL fall within the search radius, and those
whose profile does not indicate an invisible or private status. The
returned list can consist of any of the following types of data, or
of course various combinations thereof as well as still other types
of data consistent with the broad scope of this disclosure: [0035]
Any of the items contained in the Profile of the Neighbors [0036]
The Neighbors' approximate distance from the LKL of the current
user [0037] The approximate or actual time the LKL was last updated
by the Neighbors
[0038] Information not contained in the initial listing, but
contained in the Neighbors' profile and not designated as private,
can be seen by a user by selecting a desired Neighbor from the
list. The user may then permissively perform one or more of the
following tasks, amongst others, with respect to a particular
Neighbor: [0039] 1. Hide or block the users profile from the
Neighbor [0040] 2. Place a call to the Neighbor if the Neighbor's
phone number is provided [0041] 3. Start a textual conversation
with the Neighbor [0042] 4. Start a private voice conversation with
the Neighbor that does not require disclosure of the user or the
Neighbor's phone number to each other [0043] 5. Send an email to a
Neighbor at one or more of the email addresses stored in the
Database under the Neighbor's profile, or, in the case where a
Neighbor has elected to keep their email address private, allow the
user to send a message over the network to the server, which will
then be delivered to the Neighbor without disclosing the Neighbor's
email address to the user [0044] 6. Follow a link to a social
networking site listed by the Neighbor [0045] 7. Send the
Neighbor's Profile and contact information to the user's email
address [0046] 8. Add a Neighbor's contact information to the
user's PCD contact list [0047] 9. Unlock private photos of the user
stored in the Database that are designated as private for the
Neighbor [0048] 10. Add the Neighbor to the Database as a friend,
buddy, acquaintance, or other authorized contact of the user, for
the purpose of disclosing other information contained in the
Database, designated by the user as private information.
[0049] According to a presently preferred embodiment, some or all
of the information contained in the user's Profile can be stored in
the Database, and can be modified using the PCD by means of the
Application or by means of the Website.
[0050] The foregoing specification is provided for illustrative
purposes only, and is not intended to describe all possible aspects
of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention has been
shown and described in detail with respect to several exemplary
embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that minor changes to the description, and various other
modifications, omissions and additions may also be made without
departing from either the spirit or scope thereof.
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